Is there room for yet another Crossover? I ask, only because there seems to be one unveiled almost on a weekly basis. Popular as they are, and we Brits can’t seem to get enough of them at the moment, they can’t all succeed, surely?

One there is certainly room for is the very latest on the scene, the MG ZS, which was introduced to UK motoring journalists two weeks ago and is in showrooms now.

The Explore model is available from just £12,495, making it one of the cheapest compact SUVs (Image: MG)

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Why do I say that? Well, to succeed, any car must tick a number of USP boxes – looks, most definitely; space, certainly; the hard to quantify “feel” for the car in the owner’s mind; and price. This Chinese-built take on British motoring heritage certainly ticks three of those boxes – looks, space and price – and it will probably be price that finally swings the deal for new owners.

From the outside this car is certainly on-trend and at entry-level, the Explore model is available on the road from just £12,495, making it one of the cheapest compact SUVs around; about £2,500 more affordable than, say, the equivalent Nissan Juke (just one of the competitors).

The MG ZS also launches with a host of competitive finance offers and a very attractive seven-year/80,000 mile warranty.

The MG ZS has been tested on UK roads and developed for UK drivers (Image: MG)

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The ZS Explore comes with air-con, cruise control, radio, Bluetooth and USB charging but MG reckon that most buyers will go for the mid-range Excite trim level (there’s a £1,500 step-up in price on a like-for-like manual version), which also comes with alloy wheels, automatic air-con, 8in touch sensitive infotainment screen with DAB radio and Apple CarPlay.

For top-of-the-range Exclusive models (from £17,495 on the road) you also get a reversing camera and satellite navigation.

With one of the most generous shoulder, leg and headroom capacities in its segment, the MG ZS offers a decent and comfortable travelling experience for driver and passenger alike – providing about 55mm additional rear shoulder room and 80mm rear headroom than the segment average.

There’s 448 litres of boot capacity, plus a split-level boot, which provides plenty of room for prams, luggage, outdoor leisure equipment or the weekly shop, while keen cyclists and adventure sports fans will benefit from numerous compartments throughout the car which provide additional storage.

There's 448 litres of boot capacity in the vehicle (Image: MG)

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Having said it’s cheaper than the equivalent Nissan Juke, the MG ZS offers similar internal space to the larger Qashqai. At 179mm longer, 44mm wider and 46mm taller than the Juke, this makes for a more generous cabin, that enables larger adults to sit comfortably, both front and rear.

An additional 94 litres of boot space over the Juke makes it a more practical option, too. The MG ZS also outperforms other rivals in the segment, with 98 litres of additional boot volume over the Mazda CX3, and 93 litres on top of the Ford EcoSport.

Although the car is built in China – MG is part of the Shanghai Automotive Group – the company is keen to stress the ZS has been designed and “set up” for our roads by the engineers still retained at the Longbridge works in Birmingham.

“It has been tested on UK roads and developed for UK drivers,” is the corporate line and the Excite and Exclusive models come with three power-assisted steering modes – Urban, Normal and Dynamic – which are designed to give the driver complete control over their ride.

Features in the mid-range Excite include an touch sensitive infotainment screen (Image: MG)

While Urban steering offers a lighter and quicker response at low speeds and when parking, the Dynamic mode is designed to increase the steering effort, deliver a higher damping effect and increase the centre definition at medium and high vehicle speeds. The Normal steering option delivers a great fit to MG’s tailored suspension set-up and vehicle dynamics response for drivers who want to maintain a consistent ride.

Like the bigger GS introduced last year, there’s no diesel option with this car at launch nor any plans to introduce one down the line. Given the current anti-diesel stance being adopted, that no longer seems the own goal it did on the earlier car.

The choice, therefore, is between a 1.5-litre powerplant previously used in other models that’s available only as a five-speed manual and, is, therefore, the only one available on the entry-level car, which doesn’t have an auto option.

Official economy figures show 49.6mpg for the 1.5 litre and 44.9mpg for the 1-litre models (Image: MG)

There’s also a new 1-litre, 3 cylinder engine with is supplied with a six-speed auto transmission. With 111 horsepower on tap it is not only more powerful than the 106PS 1.5-litre but has more mid-range pull thanks to a turbo boost.

Performance figures are 0 to 60mph in 12.1 seconds in the three cylinder and 10.4 seconds for the bigger engine, but contrast this with the fact that the smaller engine can do the all-important 50mph to 70mph overtaking burst in 7.5 seconds, compared with 15.2 seconds.

Official economy figures show 49.6mpg for the 1.5 and 44.9mpg for the 1-litre, but in the real world it was sub-40mpg for both. Emissions are 129g/km for the 1.5 and 144 for the 1-litre.

I’ve stressed a lot of positives with this car and it does tick most of the boxes. The “look and feel” judgment is a more emotional response and I feel the car will disappoint some in this area, particularly inside the car where some of the materials do feel a little cheap, and I didn’t find the infotainment screen the easiest to operate.

But, overall, I have to say MG is moving in the right direction and it’s now all about getting more eyes on the product. The dealership network, although growing, is still not big enough. Crack that issue and that famous badge, while no longer fixed to nippy little two-seater sports cars, will be around for many more years to come.